1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to compositions, kits and methods for use with organic material (e.g., wood and wood-containing material) that are subject to environmental damage and, more particularly, relates to compositions, kits and methods using a cationic salt of a dioic acid to improve hydrophobicity, dimensional stability and bioresistance of organic material.
2. Description of Background Art
Organic materials, such as wood, are basic and common construction materials. As a renewable resource, organic materials are likely to remain a prime staple of construction. Organic materials, such as wood, however are susceptible to deterioration from environmental conditions. Water absorption and living organism decay are two major driving forces behind organic material deterioration.
In the case of wood, water absorption occurs when water penetrates the wood surface and/or enters into the pores of the wood. Water penetration damages wood and may also bring deleterious substances into the pores. Water absorption causes wood to swell. Likewise, water desorption may cause wood to shrink. The resistance of wood to swelling, or shrinking, as a function of water content is related to its dimensional stability. In general, the dimensional stability of untreated wood is poor. A lack of dimensional stability leads to warping and splitting. Since most wood is painted, coated or impregnated, as wood warps any paint or stain finish is damaged. As a result, dimensionally unstable wood must be recoated or replaced with a substitute.
Wood may also be damaged by living organism decay. For example, termites and fungal rot consume wood causing loss of wood structure. Such organisms destroy the desirable structural stability imparted by the cellulosic cell wall microstructures of wood.
Efforts have been made to prevent environmental deterioration of organic materials, such as wood and wood-containing materials. Most often, chemical compositions have been investigated to protect wood from water absorption and living organism decay. These chemical compositions are primarily administered by impregnating the compositions into the wood pores via a pressure treatment process involving soaking wood in the chemical solution under pressures up to 150 psi.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,264,886 describes a wax emulsion water repellent composition that includes wax, a nonionic surfactant, an anionic surfactant and water for waterproofing wood. U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,231 describes a water repellent solution for wood that includes an organo-metallic complex of a hydrophobic fatty acid coordinated with a halogenated trivalent chromium and water. U.S. Pat. No. 7,959,723 describes compositions that include biocides and dialkylamides for the protection of wood from living organism decay. U.S. Pat. No. 7,935,182 describes a solution that includes amines, copper salts, boron salts, carboxylic acids and selected quaternary ammonium biocides which also prevent living organism decay in wood. U.S. Pat. No. 7,666,254 describes the use of a boron compound and bifenthrin to protect wood from termite attack.
Acetylation is another known technique used to treat wood. In acetylation, acetic anhydride is pressure treated into the wood. During acetylation, an acetyl group is grafted onto a free hydroxyl group on the wood cellulose under heated conditions at temperatures up to 140° C. Acetylation may provide wood with some dimensional stability and living organism decay resistance, but provides limited water absorption protection. Acetylation also produces concentrated acetic acid in the wood pores giving the wood an unpleasant vinegar odor. The acetic acid must be removed prior to use. To do so requires post reaction processing using large scale pressure treatment plants. Similar techniques, such as those developed by Lapeyre, e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 7,790,239, use mixed anhydrides and suffer from similar limitations.
While the efforts described above provide some level of protection, none provide a desired and/or effective combination of water absorption resistance, living organism decay resistance and dimensional stability, nor do they provide such protection in water soluble, environmentally safe and easy to administer composition(s) and/or kit(s). For example, some compositions contain waxes and fatty acids that are hydrophobic. Others contain borates, copper and other chemicals that are not environmentally friendly. These materials, especially borates, may also leach out of the organic material over time.
Accordingly, despite efforts to date, a need remains for environmental-resistant treatments, materials and processes for organic materials, such as wood and wood-containing materials, that are effective, efficient and reliable. These and other needs are advantageously satisfied by the disclosed compositions, kits and methods for water absorption resistance, living organism decay resistance, and dimensional stability of organic materials. These advantages have been achieved with water-based solutions that do not require specialized acid-resistant pressure treatment equipment or large scale pressure treatment plants.